Strategy for the Elimination of Hepatitis C in Cantabria

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the leading causes of liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting more than 70 million people. Approximately, between 55 % and 85 % of infected people will develop chronic HCV infection and between 15 % and 30 % of this group will develop liver cirrhosis and associated complications in the following 20-30 years. In our country, the seroprevalence of anti-HCV ranges from 0.8 to 1.2 % of adult population, while 0.2 % to 0.4 % show active HCV infection. In recent years, with the appearance of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), which achieve cure rates of over 95 %, the elimination of HCV is a real possibility. In fact, in 2016 the World Health Organization (WHO) stablished a global strategy with the goal of achieving its elimination by 2030.